Clear form fields when it's opened by user

Feature Requests
1

Hi there!

I’m using the form feature for a weekly pulse update on certain conditions (it copies the record to a new base when it’s been updated- is there a way to clear the form when it’s opened, so I know that they’ve had to input to those conditions each time? e.g. change the form defaults but only when the user is viewing it

2

Hi there, is this what you mean: when a form is opened, I want all of the fields to look blank to the user. If they input values for some fields and then save the form, I want the record in Airtable to have the original values for the fields that the user did not input anything new for, but also want the new values for the fields that the user did input values for to be saved in Airtable.

Is that correct?

3

I think the best way to describe this is that I’d like the option to choose records as having text cleared when an end-user opens the form- so, in Airtable, this would show up as edits. If I’ve chosen a question input to become blank upon opening, that’s what the edit would save as- if I’ve not switched that on, the previous record would still apply.

EDIT RECORD:
(Form Q1: Default “Clear response”)
(Form Q2: Default “Keep previous response”)

If form opened and submitted without any data
Record:
Q1: 1234 → (blank)
Q2: 1234 → 1234

4

Hello @jas.adams, a ticket has been created for your request and we will provide updates on this channel. Thank you for your feedback and please let us know if you have other requests.

5

Hi @jas.adams. The team started to look into the ticket and they are asking for more information about your use case. Can you provide more details about the problem that you want to resolve using this feature?

6

Sure thing!
My use case
I use two airtable automations with this form.

  1. Timebound trigger i.e. “every friday, send link”
  2. Create duplicate record every time record is created ( so I can track who is and isn’t using the form weekly).
  • I’m sending a check-up form every friday. My participants need to “confirm” two questions weekly.
  • If we were able to show these checkboxes as “blank” when opened, this would mean that when the form is received, I would know they’ve intentionally confirmed each time.

Other example use cases

  • Virtual class registration or confirming watching a lecture each week-not having to make a new form per session for the data to be relevant

  • Reconfirming dietary requirements for a new event

  • Setting a default variable that needs to be changed every time a form is opened (again I can see this having use in class learning environments)

  • When answering a recurring meeting request, a default zoom/ or phone number or “in person”, is added, and if that person needs it elsewhere, they know to change that form box for that week specifically.
    Basically, this is a situation where your default with recurring questions need ACTIVE engagement to ensure that they’re correct. The way the visual experience works at the moment, it’s easy to open the form and submit without reading, because the form is same as before, you dont need to engage with it for those answers to be true, leading to bad data ettiquette.

Hope that helps!
Happy to jump on a call, not sure I can send screenshots of our data… but would be ok showing live?

All the best

Jas